Fur or pelt cutting machine



Aug. 11, 1931. l. FRIEDMAN 1,313,058

FUR OR FELT CUTTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 3, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l 3&0

g- 11, 1931- l. FRIEDMAN FUR 0R FELT CUTTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 3, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 11, 1931. FRIEDMAN v FUR OR PELT CUTTING MACHINE Filed Nov. s, 1928 4 Shee ts-Sheet s h 3 m mm N 4% J K x. s v: Q, m 3 w w P -i 3 3 h m 7% m \N NM; u m T K .3

Aug. 11, 1931. l. FRIEDMAN FUR 0R FELT CUTTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 3, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 z Patented Aug. 11, 1931 uri'rs 1 rates ISAAC FRIEDMAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEXV YORK FUR OR FELT CUTTING MACHINE Application filed November 3, 1928.

This invention relates to fur or pelt cutting machines and more particularly to a novel and improved machine for cutting pelts or skins into strips without damage to the hair.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an endless belt driven machine for cutting fur into strips including means for maintaining the cutting elements sharpened without rendering the machine inoperative.

Another object of my invention is to provide a fur, strip cutting machine in which the pelts or skins are fed over a seriesof cutting disks or knives, said pelts or sk ns being held taut and prevented from shift ng laterally, both before and after the cutting or stripping thereof.

More specifically. my invention relates to a power operated fur cutting machine for stripping pelts or skins without damage to the hair including means for maintaining the cutting elements sharpened at all times while the motor is running.

To enable others skilled in the art to more fully comprehend the underlying features of my invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this invention in which Fig. 1 is a top plan.

Fig. 2 is an interior view showing the endless belt and cutter operating mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a 'iew taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Figs. i and 5 sharpening frame.

Fig. 6 is a detail vlew showing one of the cutter sharpening elements.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a view partly in section showing the shaft mounting for the rotary brushes.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters desi nate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 5, designates the front wall, 6 the rear 'wall and 7 the sides of a frame or supporting casing which may be mounted in any suitable manner but preferably in proximityto a source of electric current supply. The open top. 8 of the frame or'casing is proare detail views of the cutter Serial No. 317,085.

vided with a recessed plate 9 so as to expose the spaced material feeding belts further to be described.

Vithin the frame or casing there is provided an electric motor 10 which drives a" pulley 12 on a shaft 14 equipped witha conventional friction clutch. The clutch may be thrown in and out of engagement by a bell crank lever 15 pivotally supported as at 16 on a bracket or extension 17 of the motor support. Onearm of the bell, crank lever carries an adjusting screw 18 and the opposite arm is held under tension by a spring 19. The bell crank levermay be op erated by a rod or connection 20 fastened thereto and to a foot lever for instance, not shown. I

A belt 13 driven by the pulley 12 is trained about a second pulley wheel 21 on one end of a driven shaft 22 which carries a pulley wheel 23 on the opposite end thereof. Re ferring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, there is shown a rotary driven shaft 24 mounted in suitable bearings 25, 26 on the sides of the frame, said shaft having a pluralityof uni formly spaced circular cutting disks or knives 27 of such diameter as to extend just above the open top of the frame. The shaft 24 is provided with a pulley wheel 28 and belt 29 trained about the pulley wheel. 23 from which it derives power.

The driven shaft 22 also communicates power to reduction gearing comprising a worm 30 which meshes with large gear 31 on a stub shaft 32. The stub shaft drives a small sprocket 33 and sprocket 34 on the shaft 35 of a driven roller 86 by the sprocket chain 36a. The shaft 35 is also mounted in hearings on the sides of the frame just below the open top. By reason of the reduction gearing, the shaft 35 and its roller 86 are driven at a much lower speed than the shaft carrying the cutting disks or knives as will be readily understood.

The material or pelts to be cut into strips are adapted to be conveyedtowa-rd the cutting disks by a series of endless, uniformly spaced, narrow belts 37 which pass over tae driven roller 86 and an idler roller 37a on a shaft 38 mounted in side bearings 39 ad tion.

jacent the rear wall of the machine. The belts are spaced so as to lie on each side of the cutting disks, which are adapted to cut the material into strips as it is advanced on the belts. Each belt is held under tension by means of a lever 40 pivoted at one end as at 41 to the lower end of a bracket 42, said lever being equipped with a roller 43 bearing against the belt. The opposite end of the lever is connected by a tension spring 44, which spring is fastened to a post '45 or other stationary part of the machine. The tension means thus employed 'on the lower portion of the belts thus maintains the belts passing over the top of the front and rear rollers in the same plane as the open top 'or plate so that the material or pelts are fed toward the disks or knives evenly.

In the cutting of skins or pelts it is essential that the cutting disks or knives be maintained constantly in sharpened condi- To remove the shaft or the knives ffor sharpening is not feasible or practical because of the lossof time and the inconvenience so that it becomes necessary to provide means whereby the cutting edges of the knives may always be kept sharp without rendering the machine inoperative. To that 7 end, I provide two pairs of depending brackets'46, 47 which support a pair of parallel 1 guide rods 48. Slidable on the guide rods is a rectangular frame consisting of longitudinal side members 49 and connection top and bottom cross members 50, said frame having bearing blocks 51 whereby the frame may easily slide on the rods.

In order that both side cutting edges of the knives may be sharpen-ed, the frame is provided with two sets of sharpening elements at the front and rear respectively for this purpose. The details of the sharpening means as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 comprise a stationary plate 52 positioned between the top and bottom cross members of the sliding frame, said plate having a sharpening block 53 such as an emery stone pivotally connected thereto as at 54. A spring 55 on a connecting pin 56 positioned between the plate and block 58 tends to maintain each block or sharpening stone at an acute angle. The front blocks are therefore positioned and connected to the plates so that they may move slightly in one direction and the rear blocks are connected on the opposite sides of their respective plates 'so as to move in the opposite direction. In

.jblOcks to. engage the'opposite side edges.

In order to actuate the sliding frame so that the sharpening members are successively brought into engagement with the knives or disks, said frame is connected to'a forwardly the'opposite edges of the knives may be sharpened while the motor is running. Un-

der normal conditions, the frame is in an intermediate position and the knives are out of engagement with the sharpening elements.

In order that the pelt or skin may be held taut and prevented from shifting laterally as it is advanced and carried by the endless belts toward the cutting disks, I provide a series of rotary wire bristle brushes 64 mounted on a freely rotatable shaft 65, each of said brushes being in engagement with the respective belts. The opposite ends of theshaft are of reduced diameter as indicated by numeral 66 and are supported in bearing blocks 67held under tensionhy springs 68 interposed between the top of each of said blocks and the inwardly extending top 69 of a bracket 70 fastened to the side of the main frame'or support. The shaft and the brushes are thus held under uniform tension throughout, thus gripping the pelt or skin without tearing the hair as the material is fed toward the knives. It

ally engage the hair of the pelt or skin as;

it is advanced.

Connected to the brackets 70 and immediately adjacent the bearing blocks 67 are the sleeves 71 which retain the shaft hearing 71a held under tension by springs 72 and threaded screws 73. A horizontal'shaft 74 freely mounted in said bearings 71a carries a plurality of fiber toothed rollers 75 which are also in engagement with the endless belts. It will be noted that the shaft carries a pair of said rollers for each belt and that they are located on each side of and rearwardly of the brushes. The shaft carrying the cutting knives is therefore in a vertical plane, between the shaft supporting the brushes and the shaft carrying the fiber rollers. Consequently it will be seen that the pelt or skin is held from shifting during its travel over the revolving knives. In order to prevent the pelt or skin from curling up about the shaft and between the fiber rollers, I provide a horizontal-bar76 attached'to the said sleeves 71 and connected to said bar are a'series of bent pins 7 7 which deflect -or turnback that portion of the pelt or skin on the endless belt which carries the cut strip rearwardly.

The operation of the machine will now be briefly described. When the motor starts operating and the friction clutch is thrown in, the driven shaft speedily rotates the cutting disks or knives between the endless belts. The reduction gearing drives the belts somewhat slowly thus giving the operator an opportunity to lay the pelt or skin across the belts in proper position to be cut into strips. As the pelt or skin is advanced it is held taut by the wire brushes which grip the hair without tearing, and the revolving knives cut the skin or pelt as it is advanced. The fiber toothed rollers also grip and hold the cut strip down on the belt as it passes over the knives. It will also be noted that the knives between the belts are adapted to merely cut the skin of the pelt or fur without touching the hair which is the important factor in cutting fur or skins.

WVhile I have shown and described my invention with some degree of particularity, it will be realized that other modifications and changes may be resorted to under special conditions. I therefore do not wish to be limited and restricted to the exact details shown and described but reserve the right to make such changes and modifications as may fairly fall within the scope of the subject matter now being claimed.

Having shown and described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A machine of the class described comprising power operating mechanism a series of endless belts driven by said mechanism, a plurality of rotary cutting elements located between said belts and a series of freely rotatable brushes in advance of the cutting elements for maintaining a piece of material on the said belts.

2. A machine as characterized by claim 1 in which the rotatable brushes are mounted on a freely movable shaft resiliently supported at its ends whereby uniform pressure is exerted on the material being fed on the belts to said cutters.

3. A machine of the class described comprising power operating mechanism, a series of narrow endless belts driven by said mechanism, a freely movable shaft having a series of cutting knives mounted below the top portion of said belts, the top cutting edges of said knives extending between said belts and a series of freely revolving brushes located in advance and above the cutting elements for maintaining a piece of material on said belts.

4. A machine of the class described comprising power operating mechanism, a shaft having a series of uniformly spaced cutters driven by said power operating mechanism,

a series'of narrowendless belts and reduction gearing for driving said belts from the same power operating mechanism, said cutters being located between said belts, and a freely rotatable brush shaft having a series of brushes located in advance of the said knives and above the belts to prevent lateral shifting of the material when positioned on the belts.

5. A machine of the class described comprising power operating mechanism, a series of narrow endless belts driven by said mechanism, spring tension means for each of said belts, a shaft having a series of retary cutters driven by the power operating mechanism, the cutting edges of said cutters extending between the belts, and freely operable rotary elements above the said belts forwardly and rearwardly of said cutters for maintaining the material on said belts during the cutting operation.

6. A machine of the class described comprising power operating mechanism, a series of narrow endless belts driven by said mech anism, spring tension means for each of said belts, a shaft having a series of rotary cutters driven by the power operating mecha nism. the cutting edges of saidcutters extending between the belts, a freely operable shaft having a series of rotary wire brushes for engaging the material on the belts, a second shaft having a series of toothed rollers rearwardly of the wire brushes, the shaft of said rotary cutters being below and between the brush shaft and the roller shaft.

7. A machine as characterized by claim 0 in which the toothed roller shaft is resiliently supported at its ends whereby uniform pressure is exerted on the material in advance of and rearwardly of the cutters as the material is carried by said belts.

8. A machine of the class described comprising power operating mechanism, a series of closely associated narrow belts driven by said mechanism, a plurality of rotary cutting knives having their cutting edges between the belts and driven from the power operating mechanism, a sliding framehaving front and rear sharpening elements and means for actuating said frame to sharpen both edges of the cutting elements without interrupting the operation of the machine.

9. A machine of the class described comprising power operating mechanism, a series of closely associated narrow belts driven by said mechanism, a plurality of rotary cutting knives having their cutting edges between the belts and driven from the power operating mechanism, a sliding frame supported below the top of the machine, said frame having front and rear relatively movable sharpening elements adapted to be successively brought into engagement with the opposite edges of the cutters and means for reciprocatingsaid frame Without interrupting the operation of the machine.

10. A machine as characterized by claim 9 in which the frame and sharpening members carried thereby is located below the top of the machine, a shifting bar connected to the frame and a crank handle for reciprocating said shifting bar.

11. A machine of the class described com- 10 prising power operating mechanism, a series of narrow endless belts driven by said mechanism, spring tension means for said belts, a shaft having a series of rotary cutters driven by the power operating mechanism, the cutting edges of said cutters extending between the belts, a shaft having a series of Wire brushes for engaging the material on the belts in advance of the cutters,

a second shaft having pairs of toothed rollers rearwardly of the wire brushes for engaging the material after it is cut into strips by the cutters and a horizontal bar having bent pins between each pair of toothed rollers for preventing the curling of the ma terial on the belts.

12. A machine of the class described, comprising power operating mechanism, a series of cooperatingly disposed conveyor belts driven bysaid mechanism, a plurality of :0 cutting knives having their cutting edges between the belts, a frame slldably supported in said machine, sharpening elements on said frame adapted to be alternatii'igly brought into engagement with the opposite edges of said cutting knives, and means reciprocating said frame without interrupting the operation of the machine.

13. A machine of the class described, comprising power operating mechanism, a se- 40 ries of cooperatingly disposed conveyor belts driven by said mechanism, a plurality of cutting knives having their cutting edges between the belts, a frame slidably supported in said machine, sharpening elements tensionally supported by said frame and adapted to be alternatingly brought into engagement with the opposite edges of said cutting knives, and means reciprocating said frame without interrupting the operation of the machine.

14. A machine of the class described comprising power operating mechanism, a series of endless belts driven by said mechanism, a plurality of cutting elements located between said belts, and a of freely rotatable brushlike means in advance of the cutting elements for maintaining a piece of material on the said belts.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. ISAAC FRIEDMAN. 

